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Comment: 9780545290463 A book with obvious wear. May have some damage to the cover or binding but integrity is still intact. There might be writing in the margins, possibly underlining and highlighting of text, but no missing pages or anything that would compromise the legibility or understanding of the text.

The doctrine of God is the foundation of Christian theology and the prerequisite of all true faith. Yet, despite this, few books expound the biblical teaching on the being and character of God himself, or encourage that glorifying of his name for which man is made and redeemed. Observing this need, William Hendriksen also saw how admirably it had been met, for those able to read Dutch, in the second volume of Herman Bavinck's Gereformeerde Dogmatiek (Reformed Dogmatics). The result was this present translation, making available some of the most important of Bavinck's material for the English-speaking world and providing, in the words of Hendriksen, 'a spiritual treat' for the serious reader. More fully this volume has been described as a 'model of exhaustive and balanced exegesis. Careful historical presentation, painstaking effort to do justice to both sides of a question and always a welath of biblical material to support its views make The Doctrine of God an unusually accurate and authoritative volume. The chapters include: God's Incomprehensibility, God's Knowability, God's Names, God's Incommunicable Attributes, God's Communicable Attributes, The Holy Trinity, and God's Counsel.' The Christian Church has had many historians of theology but few men who were themselves master theologians. Bavinck belonged to that small grop and as will always be found in such cases, he possessed both high gifts of intellect and real consecration to Christ. His memorable words at death, 'My learning does not help me now...faith alone saves me', exemplified the spirit in which he had sought to live.

Top customer reviews

This book was required reading for me during a course on Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary.

At the time, I was unfamiliar with Bavinck's work and thought, but have since come to appreciate and value his perspective and ministry. Bavinck (b. 1854; d. 1921) was a Dutch Reformed theologian, churchman, and statesman. He was first appointed as Professor of Dogmatics at Kampen Theological Seminary (where he began his studies) and eventually succeeded Abraham Kuyper as Professor of Theology at the Free University in Amsterdam.

No theological library can afford the lacuna that would be without this volume! While one may (rightfully) opt to purchase the four volume edition of Bavinck's work, this is still the translation to always have at your elbow. All major discussions of theology are explored and opened up for the serious reader.

Of particular interest is the perennial debate of supralapsarian and infralapsarian interpretations. Bavinck is without equal in both explanation and resolution.

Bavinck is Reformed, yet those of other theological persuasions will find this volume to be one of the most sound orthodox books in print.

Bavinck's Doctrine of God is richly informative, very detailed, and difficult to read. I give it 4 stars because Bavinck is both thorough in his handling of the material, well-organized (the material is laid out within an outline format) and of course thoroughly scriptural.

As negatives go, Bavinck often quotes writers and theologians who are obscure today, as if the reader had a good, workable knowledge of their material. This can often leave the reader bewildered as to the argument the quoted writer was making, with no opportunity to read the original materials.

Bavinck breaks down the Doctrine of God into 7 categories: God's Incomprehensibility, God's Knowability, God's Names, God's Incommunicable Attributes, God's Communicable Attributes, The Holy Trinity, and God's Counsel. Each of these of course is further subdivided in a logical format. Note that in the Dutch original, God's Names came after God's Incommunicable Attributes, and the editor does not give any rational for the change.

The last chapter on God's Counsel is the real gem of this work, and Bavinck's treatment of election is a gripping read, demonstrating God's love and forethought of His creatures. His treatment of the supra/infra-lapsarian debate should also be consulted by any who wish to avoid these errors.

The hardback itself is of good quality and mine has held up well over its first reading, although it is rather unremarkable (in fact it looks almost identical to Berkhof's Systematic Theology also published by Banner of Truth).

This is a very great work by Bavinck and should be in the library of anyone who wants to study theology proper. Although be careful with this purchase, it is a different translation but is found in Bavinck's RD II. If you already have his RD, you own this book. The translation is great but I found the translation by Vreind easier to read.